He Didn't Have to Be
by Awahili
Summary: SEASON 3: Monica disappears mysteriously without telling anyone where she is going or why. Now, over five years later, Chandler runs into her in the least likely of places. Told from a unique point of view... COMPLETE
1. Chapter One

Wow, is really all I can say. I have several _Friends_ fics in the works, and the first got such a good response, I guess I'll post this one too. Hope you enjoy!

This takes place in Season Three, just before Monica and Richard's break up.

* * *

Chandler shot straight up in bed, his heart racing. For a moment, he thought it had been the horrible dream he'd been having, but after a few moments, a loud banging could be heard from his front door. Sighing, he stood and walked through the living room, Joey on his heels. A little frustrated and very tired, he swung the door open to reveal Rachel, near tears

"What's going on?" he asked, his mood suddenly reversed into concern.

"She's gone," Rachel said, in the smallest voice they'd ever heard from her.

"What are you talkin' about!" Joey yelled.

"Monica! She's gone!" Without a word, Chandler and Joey strode past her into the apartment across the hall. The sight that greeted them stopped them dead in their tracks: the apartment was nearly empty of knickknacks and utensils. Chandler moved at a near-run to her bedroom, and was horrified to find most of Monica's clothes gone, as well as all her personal items. As he emerged again, Ross came stumbling through the door with Phoebe, his face slack and sullen.

Without thinking, Rachel fell into his arms, crying silently. Phoebe and Joey were still relatively clueless, but Chandler's face was screwed up in thought. Breaking the silence, Ross spoke first.

"Monica left me a message," he said softly. Chandler moved closer to the group to hear him better. "She and Richard had a huge fight, apparently. She packed up everything and moved away. She didn't say where, or why, but it had to be something huge." Ross spoke, his voice void of emotion, as everyone stayed frozen to the spot. After nearly three years of being inseparable, one of their own was gone.

For a few moments, no one said a word or moved. Finally, Chandler went back to his apartment and changed, coming out minutes later fully dressed.

"Dude, where are you going?" Joey asked, racing after him down the hall.

"To see Richard. I mean he's gotta know something, right?" The rest readily agreed, and after a few minutes of preparing, they all jumped in a cab and took off.

"First of all, what she did was not my doing. Secondly, if she didn't tell you why, then she didn't want you to know." Richard sat on his couch, eyeing the five friends warily. Ross was visibly seething at the man, Phoebe and Joey were giving him cold looks from the corner, and Rachel was trying not to cry in front of everyone. Chandler was a little harder to decipher, and Richard decided on silent anger.

"This is my sister we're talking about!" Ross had opted for the un-silent approach. "Tell me where she is right now!"

"I can't!" Richard returned just as loud. "She didn't tell me where she was going. But I do know why."

"Then why!" An outcry came from several of them, Ross the loudest.

"Because she's pregnant," Richard said quietly, effectively silencing any retorts. "And I'm not ready to have a child in my life. She got mad and said we were through, and she stormed out. I'm not sure where she went, but I did make her promise to call you Ross."

"Thank you," was all the eldest Gellar could come up with before going silent again.

"I can't believe this," Joey said as they made their way to the lobby area. "How come she didn't tell us?"

"Look, we'll talk to her when she calls," Ross said, being unusually calm. "I have to worry about what I'm going to tell my parents."

"Hey Rach," Phoebe said, "If she's gone for good, I can move in with you!"

"She's coming back!" Rachel yelled, more out denial than anything. The four continued talking, formulating plans to get Monica to return, speculating on why she opted not to tell any of them, and even going so far as to place bets on the sex of the baby. The only one to remain silent the entire way back was Chandler, and he had one thought running through his head.

_She's coming back._

My mother never returned to New York City. She never even talked about it at all. My name is Daniel Matthew Gellar, and this is my story.


	2. Chapter Two

I can still remember the very day my life changed for the better. Mom and I were walking down the street; I was nine and she was taking me to my karate lesson. As we turned the corner, we passed the Main Square Towers, my favorite buildings. I ran ahead of my mother, head pointed to the sky, smiling. Then I was on the ground, and my mother was on me in an instant.

"Daniel Matthew Gellar! What have I told you about running off?" I looked up at my mother, then at the man I had run into. He was tall, with sandy-brown hair and bright blue eyes, and he smiled as he reached down to pick me up. But his smile faltered when he heard my mother, and he looked up in panic.

"Monica?" I scrambled up from the ground and stood between them. Obviously, this man was a stalker, if he knew my mother's name. I looked back at Mom, only to see shock on her face too.

"Chandler?" That was when I stared incredulously at her. "Oh my God, what are you doing in Tulsa?" I stayed between them, but relaxed as I realized my mom knew this guy.

"Work, actually. We're opening a new branch here and they asked for a volunteer. I had nothing in New York, so here I am. This is where you've been?" My face was screwed up in confusion; this man was from New York, so Mom obviously knew him before I was born. I didn't like the accusing tone of his voice during his question, so I weighed my options. I could either bring up the fact that I ran off without permission and get in loads of trouble with Mom, all the while saving her from answering what sounded like a very personal question; or I could keep my mouth shut and get off home free.

"So does this mean I'm not in trouble for running off?" I always was Mom's little hero.

"No, sir," Mom answered firmly, "You're lucky I don't ground you for that. I guess I'll have to settle with no karate tonight."

"But Mom!" Now I thought that was a little harsh, after saving her, but she was right; I had been lucky. Mom fixed me with a firm glare (which always shut me up) and turned back to this "Chandler" guy.

"This is where I've been," Mom answered the question anyway. "But I have to get this guy home and fed." She skipped a beat, and I thought we were leaving him behind for good, but to my dismay, Mom smiled.

"So where are you staying?"

"Fairmont Terrace, I'm still unpacking and stuff. I was just about to jump in a cab and go home to finish."

"We live there too; imagine the odds! How about you walk us home and I'll cook dinner?" I fought to hide a groan. Mom had been dating a string of jerks recently, and I didn't want to see her get her heart broken again. I looked at Chandler, practically begging him with my eyes to say no, to just walk away and not break her heart. But instead, he smiled, nodding. He walked us home and began rambling on about people I had never met, except for Uncle Ross. Mom seemed very interested until we entered our apartment, which was coincidentally three doors down from Chandler's.

"Monica, why didn't you tell us? We had to find out from Richard why you left, Rachel didn't stop crying for a week, Joey and Phoebe left altogether. Ross and I were the only ones who looked for you, and when Ross found out, he wouldn't tell me!" At that point, I got the look from my mother that told me to "go to my room and not pay any attention to the raving man in our foyer." I left, but there was no way I wasn't going to listen in. So I "tripped" by the sofa, turning on one of my walkie talkies Uncle Ross had mailed to me for Christmas last year. I ran to my room and grabbed the other one, listening intently as I kicked stuff around my room to make it sound like I was playing.

"First of all, how dare you come in here and expose my son to that. You could have at least waited until we were alone." I knew from experience that that was not a happy mother.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I could barely restrain myself out there. Jesus, Mon, do you have any idea what we went through? What _I_ went through?" Now, I was totally confused. Did this man have some sort of history with Mom? I gasped loudly as one thought entered my nine-year old brain.

_Was this man my father?_

I shook my head clear as they started to speak again, and I briefly wondered what had filled the silence.

"I just…I had to get out. I had to get away. Richard said he didn't want any children then, so to make it easier on him, and ultimately me, I left. I went as far as my money could take me before I settled down, and here I am."

_So Richard was my father_._ That didn't help me much._

"Yeah, but you didn't call, write, anything. After Ross found out, he cut off all contact with us. But I didn't stop looking." Another silence ensued, before my mom's voice.

"What would you like for dinner? I'm probably just going to whip up some mac and cheese for Danny. Danny!" I heard her both through the walkie talkie and down the hall. I scurried down the hall, careful not to run.

"Yes, Mom?" I asked, still wary about being in trouble. I noticed my mom's face was reddened, and her eyes puffier than usual. She'd been crying.

"Get washed up, you can help me with dinner." I beamed and raced down the hall, eager to get back in the kitchen. When I returned, Chandler was setting the table, which was my job, so I scowled at him and went to prove that I was Mom's little man.

"Mommy, I don't feel well. Could you hold me?" And like a charm, she scooped me up and held me close. I wrapped my arms around her neck and laid my head on her shoulder. Even at nine I was small, and my mother was rather strong.

"What's wrong Champ?" She felt my forehead, and I cringed. No fever. "You feel a little warm, why don't I put you down?" Mom turned to face Chandler, and I knew what was happening. She was trying to get rid of me! She wanted to be alone with this guy, but I couldn't back out now. I was already in trouble for earlier, and getting caught lying would not improve my chances of staying ungrounded. I knew I had lost this battle, so I nodded, laying my head back down. As she walked past Chandler to put me in my room, I scowled at him again, letting him know he was not welcome.

"Mom," I whispered when we were alone in my room. "Who is that guy?"

"Mr. Bing is a very old friend of mine that I haven't seen in a while."

"Are you going to go out with him?" Mom had been dating a few guys recently, but every time she mentioned she had a son, they were gone. She tried to hide that fact, but even for a nine-year old, it was pretty obvious.

"Oh honey, you're just Mommy's little protector, aren't you?" I nodded as she tucked me in, and then began picking up my toys.

"I'll do that tomorrow, Mommy," I said, giving her the answer she always loved hearing: cleaning.

"Okay sweetie. Get some rest, and come get me if you need anything." She kissed my forehead and left, shutting the door softly behind her. She never shut my door all the way; in case of an emergency, she could just push the door open. I knew then that things were changing.

When I woke up the next morning, I padded out into the living room. It was deathly silent, and though I couldn't tell time well, I knew it was past Mom's wake up time. Before I could go check on her, the phone rang. Quickly, I picked it up, knowing Mom didn't get to sleep in that often.

"Hello?"

"Hey there," it was Chandler. I frowned, but Mom always told me to be polite on the phone, so I faked it.

"Hello Mr. Bing," I said, recalling his very silly last name.

"Is your Mom home?" I rolled my eyes.

"No, she went out to a party early this morning and left me, her nine year old son, all alone." I was surprised I managed to get through the entire line without cracking up.

"Right," he sounded surprised too.

"I'll go see if she's awake." Swiftly, I moved the phone to the receiver, intending to hang up on this man, but a hand snatched it from me.

"Hello Chandler," Mom said, shooting me a glare. I gulped, knowing I was in trouble. After a short conversation, I found myself being drug by the ear to my room, where my mom proceeded to spank me and ground me for a week from television. I tried explaining my reasons, but adults can be so irrational at times.

It wasn't ten minutes later that I heard the door open and someone say hello. I recognized the voice and frowned. Who did this man think he was? He just walks into our lives one day and steals my mom away from me. The only consolation I could find (and it was little at best) was that soon, he would break her heart and it would be just the two of us. Mom would tell me that I was only man for her, and we'd have a "Gellar Night In."

I cracked my door a little, trying to listen in, but scrambled back quickly when I heard Mom coming down the hall. I jumped on my bed and pretended to be reading one of my _Spiderman _comics.

"Hey Champ, guess what?" I looked up questioningly.

"What?"

"Chandler's going to take us out for pizza and a movie. Grab your shoes." I still remember lying stock still on the bed, wondering if I'd heard her right. Chandler was taking _us_ out? Never in the three years Mom had been actively dating had I been allowed to go out with her and her friend. I jumped off the bed, grabbed my favorite shoes (Spiderman Velcro and all) and ran out to the living room.

Minutes later, I was riding on Chandler's back on our way to the movies. After I got over the incredible hatred I felt for this man who was trying to steal my mom, he was a pretty cool guy. Really funny, too. He made me and Mom laugh the entire way, even if I didn't understand what "We were on a break!" really meant.

I may have been wrong before. That day was great and all, but the day that changed my life forever was about four months later. Mom had tucked me in, even after I insisted that I didn't need to be tucked in ("I _am_ ten now, Mom!"). She left my door pulled to, just like always, and if I listened real closely, I could hear Mom and Chandler talking in the living room.

"Mon, I have to tell you, these four months have been great. I never dreamed I'd ever be dating you. Okay, that's a lie, but I never thought you'd do it voluntarily." I smiled; he could be so funny sometimes. There was a small silence in which my mind supplied the filler, and I grimaced.

"Yuck," I whispered as I pictured them kissing. I'd seen them do it several times, though they had tried to dull it down while I was in the room.

"Monica, I love you, and Danny too. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?" That time I gasped, clapping my hand over my mouth. I waited a long time before I heard my mother's voice.

"Oh Chandler, I don't know. God, do you have any idea how long I've waited to hear those words? Never thought they'd be coming from you. And we've only been dating four months, and I have Daniel to think about."

"Take all the time you need, Monica. I'll wait forever for you." More silence ensued, and I grimaced again. I heard the door open, then shut, indicating Chandler had left. I heard Mom pad down the hallway, and if I listened really hard, I thought I heard a sob.

At the time, I didn't understand why Mom was crying. Chandler was cool, and he loved us, so what was the problem? They'd get married, I'd have a dad finally, and all would be right with the world. Quietly, I got out of bed and tiptoed to Mom's room. Her door was slightly ajar, so I snuck in and over to the bed, where she was crying silently into the sheets.

"Momma?" I whispered softly. She looked up slowly before scooping me into her arms. I wrapped my little arms around her neck, and smiled. "I heard, Mommy. Does Chandler really want us?" Mom smiled through her tears, letting out a half-sob, half-laugh.

"I think so, baby. He asked me to marry him, and believe me, with Chandler that's not a joking matter." She laid back, with me still on top of her, so my head was resting on her chest. Her heart thudded against my ear, and I matched my breathing to her own.

"Mommy?" I whispered, nearly asleep.

"Yeah, baby?" She smoothed my hair down and kissed my head softly.

"Please say yes." She didn't respond for a moment, but then I felt her arms tighten around me before my eyes slid shut completely.


	3. Chapter Three

That was nearly twenty years ago, and she did say yes. I remember carrying the ring on a pillow at the wedding. I remember the sheer happiness on Mom's face. It didn't take me long to adjust to Chandler, and by Christmas, he was Dad. My very first Christmas present from him was adoption papers, signed by him and Mom. I was officially Daniel Matthew Bing.

Of course, with the name came the torments; but it only took one solid punch to Mike Jenkins' face to shut them all up. Mom wasn't too happy, but I think Dad was prouder than he let on.

Through the years, Dad became my best friend; the one I went to for advice, the one who let me know when I was wrong, and praised me when I was right. When I was thirteen, a man named Richard showed up at our door, and I had never seen Dad so angry. I think if Mom hadn't been there, Richard would have been in a lot of trouble. At thirteen, I was a black belt and Daddy's boy; so if Dad was angry at this man, so was I. It wasn't until after Mom told the man to leave and never come back that I learned who he really was.

The day I graduated, I looked out over the crowd, finally focusing in on Mom and Dad's proud smiles. Next to them were my twin sisters that had come about a year and a half after the wedding, and my little brother who came two years after them.

"Daniel Bing," the principal called out, and I held my head high as I walked across the stage. Aaron whooped from the front row as I accepted my diploma, and cameras flashed as I descended the steps to return to my seat. Mom had two cameras (one for Uncle Ross and Rachel, who couldn't be there), Joey and Phoebe had brought one, and Grandma's. Mom's old group of friends had all come to the wedding, and they had all reconciled by the time the Hannah and Tyra were born.

* * *

I am pulled from my thoughts as I am clapped on the back; and my eyes refocus as I look through the glass into the nursery. 

"Congratulations, son, she's beautiful." I smile as Dad drapes an arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah, she looks like Nicole," Tyra joked. Hannah wiped her tears of joy away and lightly hit her twin on the shoulder.

"Tyra Jane!" Dad scolded, though I could tell he was happy someone had said it. I just laughed it off, knowing she didn't mean it. TJ always took after Dad, laughing and joking all the time, while Hannah was more like Mom.

"Girls, why don't we leave the new dad alone with his daughter?" came Mom's voice from behind us. We turned as Hannah crossed her arms.

"But I didn't get to hold her yet! You did!"

"I'm Grandma, I have privileges. Oh God!" Mom yelled as realization came over her. "I'm a grandmother!" Hannah and TJ took her aside, leaving me and Dad staring at my little girl.

"I'm really proud of you," Dad said finally. "You've turned into a fine young man." I looked at him, and for the first time I realized I was eye to eye with him. No longer was I the boy looking up, but a man.

"A young man is just a reflection of his father," I told him, my eyes twinkling in mirth. He had said that to me several years ago, when I asked why Uncle Ross was so weird. He had been joking then, but at this moment, I had never been more serious. We hugged briefly before he pulled back.

"I'll leave you to bond with your daughter. You'll make a fine father." As he walked away, I watched him go.

_Yeah, as long as I'm half the dad you didn't have to be._

* * *

So, what do you think? I love Brad Paisley, and this fic is based off of his song "He Didn't Have to Be." If you like country music (even if you don't) I recommend this song. B-E-A-utiful. Caio. 

Rickman's Girl


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